Footsteps rang out violently against the pavement. Heavy pants, lungs gasping desperately for air. He wondered how long he could keep it up. His ankles vibrated in pain with every new step, and the muscles of his arms began to cramp. Had it been two miles? Three? The engines had been screaming for so long that he couldn't hear anything else, and his mind was flooded with only one thing: exhaustion.
All of the buildings in this section of town were boarded up and overgrown. There was nowhere to hide. He didn't understand why they were being so relentless. Every other time, the scum had long given up the chase by this point. However, he didn't have time to contemplate it; that wasted energy. Finding a place to hide, that's all that mattered.
Hide.
Hide.
Hide.
There it was. He spotted it from the corner of his eye as he glided past an intersecting street. A garbage canister. If there was one thing a person could count on in this city, it was garbage. And he would have to make it work.
He side-stepped around the corner and into the gloomy, narrow street. He lifted the cover to the canister in one swift motion and hurled himself into its abyss. With a knelling sound, his body slammed into the bottom of the empty metal can. The wind harshly ripped from his lungs, he promptly covered his mouth and nose to mask his breathing. His body craved air, but the situation could not provide it. At that moment, he realized he had two options: breathe or die.
Two vehicles continued down the previous street while the third turned at the crossroads, sniffing out his scent. Slowly, slowly, it trudged along past the canister where he was hiding. Sweat dripped from his neck and chin, sticking to his clothes and hair. Focus. Don't breathe.
Moments that felt like hours slipped by, and silence finally followed. They had moved on. The man let out an aching sigh, his gasps echoing within the container. He clutched the collar of his hoodie as he nearly gagged on the wretched smell of his hiding place. After a few breaths, he could relax the muscles he'd kept tense the entire time.
That was too close. He'd never been chased for so long before, and his stamina was proof of that. Reaching into the pocket of his hoodie, he pulled out a small necklace with a stone pendant. It was tied together with cheap string, devoid of taste and elegance, as if made by a child. Did they really pursue him all that way for such a thing?
Suddenly, a loud ringing began to shudder around the entire canister. It was his phone. He forgot to silence it and reflexively reached into his pocket to answer it. Immediately, he regretted the decision.
"TODOTORI!" He fumbled his phone clumsily as the screams from his phone bounced off the metal walls. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
"L-Laz..." Todotori stuttered into the phone as he tried to adjust the volume from the device. "Could you keep it down for once?"
"KEEP IT DOWN?! KEEP IT DOWN?!" More wails from the raging female voice on the other line. "Do you have any idea what kind of situation I'm in here? You were supposed to be here an hour ago! If you don't show in the next ten minutes, I'll wring your neck, YOU HEAR ME?!"
Todotori cautiously stuck his head out of the canister to survey the street. It was still clear. "Listen, Laz, I'm on my way now. Something came up," he whispered. "I'll be there very-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" the woman cut. "Get here, now!"
Todotori slapped his cell phone shut and ground his teeth, unable to bear any more nagging. He was in some deep shit. Poking his head out of the metal can one more time, he weighed his options. He could not make it across town in ten minutes, at least not on foot. He would have to do something risky, something he really didn't want to do.
He grunted and pulled himself out of the canister, landing sharply on the pavement. It was eerily still, and long past the city's strict curfew, no normal civilians were to be seen. This section of town had no street or traffic lights for miles, although the moon illuminated what little it could behind heavy staggered clouds.
Todotori jogged back to the main street, the pattern of his steps reflecting from the surrounding building walls. The sound of their engines started creeping closer again. They had turned back, just as he predicted they would. Slowly stepping out into the middle of the street, he faced the direction of the sound in anticipation.
After a moment, they rounded the corner. Two black motorcycles buzzed on either side of a dark purple convertible. All three were heading directly for him.
"Forget about me?" Todotori yelled down the road at them, his face paled by the headlights of his pursuers. With a smirk, he reached his arms out away from his body in a symbol of sacrifice.
One of the men on a motorcycle growled as he noticed Todotori in the middle of the street. He had long black hair that whipped violently through the wind and a beard that desperately needed trimming. There was no telling how he'd acquired the thick scar that ran across his forehead or how much he had to work out to maintain his ginormous stature. He was a man not to be toyed with; that much was clear.
"There he is!" the man-giant roared. "You won't get past us this time, you thief! I'll squash you like the filthy roach you are!"
The vehicles sped up, screeching hot rubber ringing off their wheels. For a moment, Todotori contemplated whether or not it was worth the risk. He doubted his idea would even work, but it was too late to back out now.
He dug his shoes into the ground and charged with every ounce of strength he had left. "This is such a stupid idea," he grunted as the headlights blinded him.
The timing had to be just right, or he was dead.
With his last step, he vigorously launched himself into the air. Todotori ground his teeth as his body glided just inches above the car's hood. He reached out his hands, time suddenly becoming stagnant, and grabbed onto the rim above the convertible windshield. In one swift motion, he tightened his core and whipped his legs down into the car's interior, aiming his heels directly toward the driver's face.
Foot smashed into jaw bone, which then smashed into the car door. The vehicle jolted as the driver of the convertible instantly went limp. The smell of rubber filled the air as the car shrieked against the pavement.
He couldn't control it fast enough. The car lurched to the left and swiped the motorcycle on that side. The bike jolted out as they crashed, and its rider flew off onto the pavement. Todotori crawled over the previous driver of the vehicle, basically sitting on the unconscious man's lap. The car swerved one last time as he awkwardly seized control of the steering wheel.
"Hey, kid!" To the right, one bike remained. The man with the scar stared at Todotori with savage eyes, his mouth twisted into an unnaturally petrifying expression. Somehow, he looked more like a monster than a human. "You're not getting out of this alive!"
The man stretched out his arm and grabbed the passenger-side door as they continued soaring side-by-side down the street. His grip tightened and tightened. All Todotori could do was watch in awe as the man's fingers began to dent the metal door, crushing it under immense pressure.
Todotori swerved, trying to throw off the biker's balance, but to no avail. It didn't make sense. The man's strength was freakish. He watched as the monster pulled on the door with hulking force, causing the entire convertible to jolt back and forth until the metal door had finally endured enough.
The passenger door flung loose with one last tug, clanging against the pavement and kicking up sparks as it was left behind. At this point, Todotori recognized that his car was much too bulky to maneuver out of the situation. Having no way to shake the giant, another plan had to be devised quickly. He reached and flicked the headlights off, leaving the streets black in the night. He'd use this to his advantage.
Todotori slammed on the gas, honing his focus and curling his fingers over the wheel. "Let's see how fast you can go," he purred.
The car darted into the street to the left, then to the right, then to the left again. Drifting at every turn, the car seemed to be picking up speed, yet it still wasn't enough to dust the motorcycle behind him. They swerved around debris and trash, shaking the vines and leaves of every run-down building they passed.
Though the chase was beginning to get fun, he knew this couldn't keep up forever.
Todotori glanced up at the next rusting street sign before flying underneath. Waterfront Tunnel. It was just what he needed. Swiftly rounding the corner, his pursuer was still hot on his trail. The road ahead led to a tunnel running under the river. However, the way was blocked with short yellow blockades. He wouldn't let the thin, wooden blocks get in his way. This was his only chance.
The convertible barreled through the blockades without slowing, darting into the lightless tunnel with a roar. Shards of wood split out violently and clanged against the pavement in a gust of wind. The next few moments were quiet and dark, but the motorcycle was close behind, its headlight trailing ominously. An echoing buzz flew by before the silence and the darkness returned.
He let out a hot breath, which turned into a soft chuckle.
Todotori reached and turned on the headlights once more. The tunnel lit up with pale yellow light, making his location clear. He'd hidden the convertible within the smaller lateral maintenance tunnel before the bike could catch up. He had seen it in a movie once and didn't think it would work, but luck had decided to take his side just this once.
He quickly dumped the unconscious body of the previous driver next to the wall of the maintenance tunnel before hopping back into the car once more. He slowly backed out of his hiding space before returning the way he came.
Riding on a temporary high, he knew he was in for it once he got to where he was going. It had been well over ten minutes, and Laz was going to be pissed. Maybe getting murdered by thugs wouldn't have been so bad after all.
Todotori grunted as he shoved past the line of people outside. He disregarded their stares and nasty comments as he approached the door.
"Let me in."
Police never patrolled this part of the city. It was too dangerous, which made it the perfect location.
The building used to be an old supply shop, with rust and overgrowth claiming certain areas of the unkept exterior walls. It was one story, made of metal like many of the old warehouses once were. The muffled booming of music could be heard from the outside, along with cheers and screams from what sounded like over one hundred people. All the windows and entrances were barred in, except one alley-side door supervised by a single man.
"Well, if it isn't the biggest moron on the planet, Tori." The burly man guarding the door stood with tattooed arms crossed over his chest. He wore dark, oversized jeans under a stained, undersized wife-beater. The silver chain dangling around his thick neck matched the single earring hanging from his left ear, both likely stolen. A smirk painted his square face as he looked down at Todotori menacingly. "You're running late today."
"So you realize I don't have time for this, then," Todotori huffed, refusing to raise his eyes. "Just step aside, Remmie, I'm not playing this game with you today."
The muscular man leaned down and cocked his head with a smile. "Oh, someone's not in a good mood," Remmie mocked. "I'm sorry to say it, but you're out of luck, friend. You'll have to wait in line, just like everyone else. I know your little girlfriend is probably pissed that you're late, but I think I'd enjoy watching her beat your ass."
Todotori didn't reply, nor did he move. His eyes stared straight ahead, burning a hole into the man's torso. He'd already wasted too much time, and this was the last thing he needed.
"Hey, I said back of the line, dimwit," Remmie repeated. He dropped his arms by his side, and his expression turned to annoyance. "Don't make me-"
"Don't make you what?" Todotori's eyes turned into blades as he finally glanced up at the man before him.
Remmie took a subconscious step back. "O-okay, man, I was just kidding," he stuttered. "You know I wouldn't actually make you wait in line-"
"Then move."
The guard stood in shock for a moment before finally dropping his head and shamefully stepping to the side without a word. Todotori opened the small metal door slowly, allowing the vibrating noise from inside to overtake the quiet alley. He stopped just inside the doorway and turned back to Remmie, who was watching him in curiosity and fear. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a small bill.
"You almost let me forget. Here's the cover," Todotori stated dryly. The guard appeared bewildered but accepted the paper with minimal hesitation. "And don't look at me like that. I'm not the devil."
People of all kinds swarmed from wall to wall inside the open room. The smell of beer and sweat was thick, along with the nauseating cigarette smoke that hovered to the ceiling in a light fog. Although most of the room remained dim, spotlights of all colors swung overhead and illuminated the crowd. A few dauntless spectators watched from the large rafters above, cheering wildly and unknowingly sprinkling their beverages onto those below.
In the center of the room, a platform was decorated in bright yellow light. The elevated surface was shaped like a square, blocked off by elastic ropes that met at each corner by a four-foot wooden post—a boxing ring.
Todotori weaved through the stampede with minimal effort, dodging spilled beer and lit cigarettes until he reached the elevated runway that met the center platform. He stepped up and slowly walked to the side of the ring. Among the close crowd, screaming and waving, was a small boy wielding a beer bottle. Todotori nearly overlooked it.
"Give me that," he grunted, snatching the bottle from the child's fingers.
"Hey!" the boy squealed, clawing for his drink. "Give it back! It's mine."
"Well, it's mine now, kid. Get lost before I find your mom," Todotori threatened, sticking his foot in the boy's face to shoo him away. Honestly, he didn't care how old the kid was. He just needed a drink. Chugging the beer with relief, he turned to face the ring.
There she was.
Her aura was powerful, her skin almost glowing from the lights and sweat. Her body moved with grace and prowess as she fought effortlessly. The muscles of her arms and legs contracted and released in a machine-like manner, every step calculated and every swing precise. Her carmine eyes were razor-focused on the task before her, and nothing could throw off her rhythm. She was the most incredible woman he had ever seen.
All those people, every last person in the crowd, were there to watch her.
Lazzir Yuno.
"Miss Untouchable does it again!" a prominent and exhilarated voice rang over the crowd, causing the room to roar with excitement. "In only twenty-two seconds, the fifth round is over! With five more rounds to go, we have a long show ahead! Will Miss Untouchable remain undefeated?"
The woman turned away from her opponent, who was lying unconscious on the other side of the ring floor. She peeled a strand of brown hair away from her eye and exhaled softly. "Dammit, I really tried to make that round last longer," she mumbled to herself. "Defense just gets so boring."
She looked up, catching Todotori as he wiped the beer from his lip. He could practically see her blood boiling, steam flooding from her ears as her gaze cut into him like a knife.
"You!" Lazzir yelled, stomping to the ring's edge and curling her fists with rage. "Nice of you to finally show up, coach!"
Todotori jolted to attention. He tossed away the beer bottle as if he'd been caught by a primary school teacher in the middle of a lesson. Her face was terrifying. There was no telling what she'd do. This was precisely the kind of situation he'd hoped to avoid.
"You useless little-" Lazzir strode over to the elastic rope between them, grabbing him by the collar of his hoodie as soon as he was within reach. "Didn't I tell you I'd wring your neck? You know they fine me for every round I fight without you, right? You owe me big time!"
Todotori raised his arms in submission, a nervous blush overtaking him. "I told you, Laz, something came up," he pleaded with an awkward grin. "You know I wouldn't show up late on purpose. Would you believe me if I said it was for a good cause?"
Lazzir released his collar with a shove. "No, I wouldn't. I'm not an idiot," she cut. "I don't really care what you were doing. I asked you to do one thing for me, Tori, and that was for you to show up," the woman turned back towards the ring, breaking her gaze.
He reached for the back of his neck, eyes dropping again as terrible guilt seeped in. Somehow, Lazzir always knew which words would cut him the deepest. Todotori looked back up at her as she walked away.
"I'm sorry," he sighed.
The woman didn't turn around again. She adjusted the leather wraps around her knuckles as a frightening focus returned to her face. "Don't be sorry," she said coolly. "It's not like I actually need you anyway. Just sit there and watch me win."
It was already time for the sixth round to begin, the arena lights revving up again. While it was true that Todotori should have been there the whole time, he knew Lazzir was right. She didn't need him to win. She never had.
After all, the space gained popularity due to one person alone: Miss Untouchable.
The rules of the fight were simple. There were ten rounds, each ending only when one fighter won via knockout or forfeit. The winner of each round then moved on to the next until the winner of the final round was decided. There weren't very many restrictions as far as fighting methods were concerned, and dirty play was actually encouraged. However, the use of weapons was very, very prohibited. It was a grueling and unfair method of fighting, guaranteeing that nobody made it out unscathed.
Of course, this didn't apply to Lazzir.
She was the undefeated champion of underground entertainment fighting and everyone's favorite competitor. Nobody ever had to ask how she got her nickname; it was obvious. Anyone who signed up to fight her was signing up to be publicly humiliated. Even so, the city never ran out of overconfident, sexist meatheads who somehow thought they could land a hit on her.
Her opponent for the sixth round was an abundantly tall man with arms and legs the size of Todotori's abdomen. His body appeared chiseled out of stone, muscle stacked on top of more muscle. The man's face was angled and rectangular, and he had a fierce, predatorial look in his eye. He almost looked unreal, yet Lazzir was utterly unfazed.
The poor ogre of a man couldn't keep up. No matter how rapidly he moved, every punch, every kick was nothing more than a flailing limb. He couldn't catch her. She was literally untouchable. And like a child at the dinner table, she was simply playing with her food.
"Come on now, surely you can do better than that," Lazzir teased her opponent as he swung aimlessly again. She relaxed her hands on her hips, dodging him as if he were a mere fruit fly. "Your form is terrible, by the way. I could give you a lesson sometime."
"Shut it, little girl!" her opposition thundered with another missed kick.
Lazzir grinned. "You know what, I might give you a lesson after all," she said. "First, let's correct that punch of yours. Try it like this-"
She swiftly dodged the incoming jab, countering with an uppercut to the man's jaw. Her power sent him flying back, staggering and disoriented. The crowd sang out, vibrating the entire room. It took the man a moment to regain his balance, but she was already on the move again.
"Next, let's address your kick," Lazzir continued. "You've got all that muscle but refuse to use it. Give your attack some power! Here, I'll give you an example."
Jumping up without hesitation, she hit her opponent with an intense spinning backkick to the face. Again, the giant went flying across the ring. His head smashed into the ground with a thud that shook the entire platform. His body lay there twitching.
Lazzir squatted in front of him, her arms resting on her knees as she tilted her gaze at her prey. Her face was still and eerie, and her eyes were red like hell. Todotori would never understand why she always had to torment her opponents in such a way.
"Class dismissed," she smiled, her opponent finally going limp.
The entire room erupted into an untamed celebration. People everywhere were jumping, kicking, and screaming. Some spectators hugged, while others tackled each other full-on. The ending of every round was always the same, yet nobody could get sick of it.
Todotori smirked as he took a swig of his newly refilled beer. Lazzir walked over to the ropes where he was standing, and he held the can out for her to drink. "Twenty seconds," he stated as she knocked the drink back. "I think you went a little too easy on him."
"Only twenty?" she sighed, returning the drink to its owner. "At this rate, I might not even break a sweat."
"Don't get too cocky, someone might come in here and surprise you."
"Please," Lazzir rolled her eyes. "I wish someone would come kick my butt for once. I don't see how anyone finds this exciting."
Todotori chuckled softly. "I, for one, like watching you fight," he admitted.
"That's because you don't actually watch me fight, you just stare at my ass," she puffed.
Guilty.
"Whatever," Lazzir yawned, becoming uninterested once more, "the sooner I finish this, the sooner I get to go to bed. I'll make these next rounds quick."
"Hey, you!" A voice sounded out from behind her.
Lazzir whipped her head around, discovering her next opponent. He appeared to be a real slimy type of man. Tall and lean, a detailed snake tattoo trailed from his abdomen to his neck. His eyes were a biting blue, his teeth were grossly stained, and his hair was gelled back into a ridiculous spike on the top of his head. He smirked as she met his stare.
"You talk too much," he hissed.
Lazzir seemed to be holding back a laugh at the sight of him. "Come shut me up, then."
He, in fact, did not shut her up. Neither did any of the following three opponents. Within less than five minutes, Lazzir finished the competition and had award money in hand. The rest of the room had cleared out by the time she met up with Todotori outside the ring, and she was still shuffling the bills as they both walked towards the door.
"You don't get any of this, by the way," she cut. She started shoving the bills into the pockets of the thin jacket and joggers she'd changed into. "I only claim you as my coach so I don't get fined, but that didn't do me any good today."
Todotori didn't say anything as he threw away his last beer can. He knew it was better to just let Lazzir complain than to comment. They'd been friends for over fifteen years, and it was always the same. She was the firecracker, and he was the beholder.
Stopping just outside the door, Lazzir looked down towards the street light. "You know, whatever you were doing before you got here, I hope you were careful," she said, suddenly getting serious. She turned her head, making sure Todotori was listening. "It's not like it used to be when we were kids. Things are... scary now."
Todotori closed his eyes and let out a hot breath. "Don't tell me you've gone all scaredy-cat on me. I thought you weren't scared of anything," he remarked. He hated it when she tried to give him advice. She was supposed to be the wild one.
"I'm not, but you should be," Lazzir started walking for the street.
On the side of the building, her motorcycle was leaning up against the wall. It was vintage, and not in a good way. Everyone in town knew they'd get their asses kicked if they even thought about stealing it. Throwing on her bulky helmet, she looked back at him again.
"I'm serious, though. If you die, I'll kill you."
That was the Lazzir he knew.
She drove off quickly without another word, leaving him alone in the ill-lit alley. Todotori looked up at the sky for a moment. It was going to rain. He hoped she'd get home before it started. Things are scary now, huh? She was always right about things.
He finally walked away, rounding the corner just before his body slammed into an immovable force. He shuttered, nearly falling back onto the ground before he could lift his eyes to see.
"Forget about us?"
----
The air was sticky.
The turbulent wind pulled harshly at her baggy clothes as she zipped past stoplights and stop signs without care. It was long past curfew, and she hadn't reached the trade district yet, so police weren't an issue. The idea was to get home before the rain started, but it was beginning to look unlikely.
Lazzir's mind was racing, the blank road ahead giving her plenty of space to think on the short ride home. She was still angry about it, angry about Tori. She knew what he had been doing, knew that he was being reckless as always. Thinking about it made her stomach twist, and she couldn't shake the anxious feeling creeping down her spine. Why did he have to be so stupid?
Despite her hopes, rain began to pour out on the pavement as she sped on. Red light, after red light, after red light. Her bike buzzed through the streets, and the rain got more brutal every minute. Just a few more minutes. If she could just get home in a few more minutes.
Suddenly, something caught her eye at an intersecting street. However, she sped by before she could tell what it was. It was much too late for anyone to be walking the streets, but it was impossible to be sure in the rain. Shaking her head, she assumed it was her nerves. As she returned her eyes to the road-
A man.
She'd been too distracted. It was too late to stop. He was directly in front of her, crossing the road at the red light. Lazzir slammed on her brake, but it was no use. The bike helplessly slid across the watery concrete, and she couldn't do anything but brace herself.
There was a crash.
Then, her body was floating in the air.